What term describes the professional cleaning and polishing of teeth to prevent disease?

• A. Scaling
• B. Cleaning and Polishing
• C. Asepsis
• D. Prophylaxis

Answer: (D)

The term used for professional cleaning and polishing to prevent disease is prophylaxis. Prophylaxis refers to a preventive dental cleaning performed to remove plaque, calculus, and stains, followed by polishing to create a smooth surface that resists future buildup and supports gum health. It’s focused on preventing disease rather than treating existing conditions. Scaling is often part of a prophylaxis, since it involves removing calculus, but the full preventive service is defined as prophylaxis. Asepsis relates to infection control, not the cleaning procedure itself, and “cleaning and polishing” is a descriptive phrase, whereas prophylaxis is the formal clinical term.